RFC 1480 (rfc1480) - Page 2 of 47


The US Domain



Alternative Format: Original Text Document



RFC 1480                     The US Domain                     June 1993


   6.  Security Considerations ..................................... 35
   7.  Authors' Addresses .......................................... 36
   Appendix-I:  US Domain Names BNF................................. 37
   Appendix-II: US Domain Questionnaire ............................ 42

1. INTRODUCTION

   1.1 The Internet Domain Name System

   The Domain Name System (DNS) provides for the translation between
   hostnames and addresses.  Within the Internet, this means translating
   from a name such as "venera.isi.edu", to an IP address such as
   "128.9.0.32".  The DNS is a set of protocols and databases.  The
   protocols define the syntax and semantics for a query language to ask
   questions about information located by DNS-style names.  The
   databases are distributed and replicated.  There is no dependence on
   a single central server, and each part of the database is provided in
   at least two servers.

   The assignment of the 32-bit IP addresses is a separate activity.  IP
   addresses are delegated by the central Internet Registry to regional
   authorities (such as the RIPE NCC for Europe) and the network
   providers.

   To have a network number assigned please contact your network service
   provider or regional registration authority.  To determine who this
   is (or as a last resort), you can contact the central Internet
   Registry at .

   In addition to translating names to addresses for hosts that are on
   the Internet, the DNS provides for registering DNS-style names for
   other hosts reachable (via electronic mail) through gateways or mail
   relays.  The records for such name registrations point to an Internet
   host (one with an IP address) that acts as a mail forwarder for the
   registered host.  For example, the host "bah.rochester.ny.us" is
   registered in the DNS with a pointer to the mail relay
   "relay1.uu.net".  This type of pointer is called an MX record.

   This gives electronic mail users a uniform mail addressing syntax and
   avoids making users aware of the underlying network boundaries.

   The reason for the development of the domain system was growth in the
   Internet.  The hostname to address mappings were maintained by the
   InterNIC in a single file, called HOSTS.TXT, which was FTP'd by all
   the hosts on the Internet.  The network population was changing in
   character.  The time-share hosts that made up the original ARPANET
   were being replaced with local networks of workstations.  Local
   organizations were administering their own names and addresses, but



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